The Supply Line // 001 – 5 Costly Supply Chain Mistakes
- Trent Creal
- Sep 5, 2025
- 2 min read
Whether you’re shipping 100 hydration packs or scaling a garage-built overlanding kit, here are the critical breakdowns that’ll kill your margins—and how to fix them fast.
🧠 1.Forecasting Like a Hobbyist, Not a Brand
Mistake: Buying inventory based on gut feel or Instagram hype.
Fix: Use a rolling 3-month sales tracker and build in 30% flex based on seasonal shifts (camping = summer surge, moto = Q2/Q4).
🧾 2.
Treating Every Supplier the Same
Mistake: No supplier performance scorecard = every partner gets the same priority.
Fix: Grade vendors quarterly (delivery rate, quality, responsiveness) and negotiate better terms with top-tier performers only.
⏱️ 3.
Ignoring Lead Time Slippage
Mistake: Believing a 6-week lead time actually means 6 weeks.
Fix: Track planned vs. actual lead time on every PO. Create a buffer in your Shopify/website inventory settings based on this delta.
💸 4.
Paying Freight Brokers Without Leverage
Mistake: Letting brokers dictate cost without comparison.
Fix: Use two preferred freight brokers and one spot-quote platform (like Freightos or Flexport) to keep leverage high during rate swings.
📉 5.
Not Having an SOP for Returns or Defects
Mistake: Handling every return manually = wasted time.
Fix: Use a standard Return SOP with defect codes + rework/discard workflows. Even a Google Sheet with dropdowns can save hours.
🔧 Featured Tool of the Week
📥 Free Download: Supplier Scorecard Template
Track quality, timeliness, communication, and rate competitiveness across all vendors.
🗣️ Ask TheCornerKings
Q: “When is it time to fire a supplier?”
A: When your best-case scenario with them is still hurting your customer experience, your cash flow, or your margin.
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